These 6 Angels (including Zach Neto) are good as gone by the MLB trade deadline

After over a decade of mediocrity, it seems like the Los Angeles Angels will finally engage in a full-scale rebuild. On Wednesday, interim GM John Mozeliak fired the starting gun on their trade deadline sell-off, shipping catcher Logan O'Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers.

The Angels are expected to take calls on just about everyone, from rentals to controllable bats and frontline starting pitchers. We can't know the extent to which Anaheim will shake up its roster, but these Angels feel especially vulnerable in trade talks ahead of Aug. 3.

SS Zach Neto

Where there's smoke, there's fire — and there's a lot of Zach Neto smoke right now.

He is pretty easily L.A.'s most appealing trade chip. The 25-year-old provides a unique blend of power, speed and defensive upside at a premium position, with a cheap arbitration-rate contract that won't expire until after the 2029 campaign. Rarely do such players become available this early, much less midseason.

The Angels need to recalibrate for the future and find creative ways to elevate a dire farm system. Trading Neto should help the Halos recoup several high-end prospects.

He has already been connected to teams like the Red Sox, Phillies and Rays. Other contenders, such as the Yankees, Braves and Brewers, could all use a budding star at shortstop. Neto currently leads the American League in strikeouts, but he's up to 19 home runs and 14 stolen bases on the year, with a .757 OPS and 111 wRC+.

DH Jorge Soler

Jorge Soler will almost certainly end up on a new team after the deadline — whether he's traded or simply waived. His $16 million expiring contract is a potential obstacle, as L.A. probably needs to eat some of his remaining salary to coax another team into a deal. Still, the 34-year-old is still well reputed around the league. The former home run champ, who was an All-Star as recently as 2023, could strike the fancy of a contender looking for right-handed pop in a market where cheap, quality bats are sparse.

Soler has struggled mightily this season, to be clear. The fact that he's strictly a DH right now, with zero value on the margins as a defender or base-runner, will put a cap on his value. He's up to 12 homers on the year, but he's hitting .205 with a .671 OPS and 87 wRC+. Perhaps a change of scenery does him well — certain ballparks will accomodate Soler's big, powerful swing better than others — but he's closer to a fringe, situational bat than an everyday cornerstone.

If the Angels absorb a good chunk of the money, perhaps Mozeliak can still get a desperate team to cough up a PTBNL or even a younger developmental prospect whom L.A. can invest in as a dart throw.

RHP Kirby Yates

The Angels poached Kirby Yates from the Dodgers in free agency after a brutal 2025 campaign. The 39-year-old has rewarded their faith with a late-career resurrection, putting up a 3.76 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. The underlying metrics back up Yates' output as a solid high-leverage arm, with an impressive 34.2 percent whiff rate and 3.32 expected ERA.

Every contender wants a quality reliever, sometimes multiple. Yates should have a robust market. The Angels can't expect a massive return given Yates' age, but he was an All-Star in 2024 with Texas, when he finished eighth in AL Cy Young voting. Last season was clearly an aberration. Teams should not doubt that Yates has enough gas left in the tank for one more postseason run.

LHP Brent Suter

Brent Suter is another veteran reliever on an expiring contract, which should render the Angels' decision for them. The 36-year-old's numbers don't pop, as he has a 4.26 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. There is value, however, in a seasoned arm who can provide some length out of the bullpen.

Suter's sinker typically sits in the upper-80s, imminently hittable, but his gaudy groundball rate suits a contender with an elite defense. Put him on a team like the Cubs or Brewers, and Suter should play an important innings-eater role in the regular season, even if he's pushed to the periphery come October. The Angels won't get a rich return, but there's no point in keeping Suter until free agency.

OF Jo Adell

Jo Adell represents one of the Angels' best chances to recoup value on a player who does not factor into their long-term plans. The 27-year-old has an extra year of club control. He's up to 16 homers on the season, with a .695 OPS and 92 wRC+. Adell might not be an everyday bat, but he has a .941 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2026. In a market where righty-hitting outfielders are all the rage (and all too scarce), there will be a long line of teams hoping to snag Adell.

It helps that Adell put together his best MLB campaign to date in 2025, when he put up 37 home runs. Teams will sense upside with a change of scenery, especially since Adell has improved defensively. He's still a weak link in right field, but Adell is no longer the worst defender at his position in the American League. Plenty of contenders (see: Phillies, Rays, Astros, Padres) should take a keen interest.

RHP José Soriano

The Angels will listen on both José Soriano and Reid Detmers, a pair of 27-year-old starters with multiple years of club control. Detmers is the more valuable piece at this point, however, which means L.A. probably has more appetite for a Soriano deal. The hard-throwing sinkerballer has a 3.29 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 123.0 innings. His ability to both miss bats and keep harder contact on the ground should appeal to a wide range of teams.

Los Angeles can expect a hearty return if Soriano does end up on the move. Their willingness to listen is no doubt aided by the breakout of 22-year-old Walbert Ureña, who looks every bit like the Angels' frontline ace of the future as a rookie. Ureña occupies a similar niche as a right-handed groundball pitcher with crackling velocity and the potential to develop more strikeout stuff in the coming years.

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